Snow Day
by angeltread
Summary: Harry forces Draco into the snow...SLASH


"Why are you so against the snow, Draco?" Harry asked the blond Slytherin who stood next to him beside the window, gazing at the shimmering silver-white flakes. The other, slightly taller, teen shrugged.

"It's just so…cold…morbid, almost."

"Pfffft."

"It is!"

"It's cold because it's SNOW. If it was warm it would be RAIN."

"Which is much more preferable."

"Think what you like, but I'm going."

"Going? Where?"

"To play in the snow. What else, you twit?"

"…To sit by a warm fireplace in the kitchen…"

"If that's your idea of a nice, happy Christmas Eve, fine by me. I will be playing the snow if you need me." And he left, running down the hall, leaving the air flustered with his excitement.

He looked out the window again and a laugh tore itself from his mouth. Harry had run outside and tripped, falling flat on his face in the cold wet snow. He was about to open the window and ask Harry if he wanted to come in when he realized Harry had flipped onto his back and was making a snow angel.

Harry lay in the soft, damp snow, eyes closed. He heard the crunch-crunch-crunch of approaching footsteps.

"Mind if I join you?"

He opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow in shock. "Draco?"

"Harry?"

Harry grinned and rolled his eyes. "You act like I'm the Snow King or something."

"You could be, you know," Draco said seriously, sitting down in the snow next to Harry. He looked over at the still-laying boy and smiled. Harry liked it when Draco smiled.

"Your hair looks almost like it's highlighted with silver," commented the young Malfoy.

"Does it?" said Harry. "Does the almighty Slytherin color look good on a lowly Gryffindor?"

He grinned up at Draco, who chuckled. "It actually doesn't look half bad," he said a few moments later, tilting his head to one side and surveying it carefully. Harry closed his eyes and laughed.

Draco looked at the black haired boy carefully. Harry did really look like the Ice Prince, at least, if not King. The white snowflakes glittered in his black hair, the contrast sharp. The snow settled around him like water hugged other people. His skin, tan, looked marvelous as tiny, light white snowflakes whirled around on it.

The boy opened his eyes and blinked. He smiled. Jumping up, he seized Draco's hand and pulled the other boy to his feet.

"What are you doing, you insane Gryffindor?" demanded Draco as Harry ran, tugging him with him.

"Catch the snowflakes in your mouth!" Harry laughed, letting go of Draco and whirling around in a circle. He titled his head up and caught a snowflake in his mouth. He looked over at Draco and smiled. "Come on! It's fun!"

Draco suppressed a laugh. "Fun? You LIKE catching tiny bits of frozen water in your mouth?"

"Uh, apparently, yeah. Why? Have you ever TRIED it?"

"Well…no…why would I want to?"

Harry shot him a look. "Well then, there you go. Please? For me?"

"Whatever…"

Harry pouted. He looked over by the castle. "Hey, look! Is that a fox?"

As Harry turned his back, Draco tentatively turned his face upward and caught a snowflake in his mouth. He felt it dissolve on his tongue and he smiled. He heard quiet laughter and turned to see Harry smiling at him. "Well?"

"…Better than expected."

"Admit it, you liked it."

"I never said I didn't like it!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Idiot Gryffindor."

"Stupid Slytherin."

"Oh, we're spouting alliterations now?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

Draco chuckled and sat down again. He leaned back in the snow gently, letting his muscles untense as he came into contact with the cold substance. He felt a warmth settle next to him, and knew Harry had laid down as well.

It was just after sunrise. The sky was almost white near the horizon, streaks running and dancing through the stars, the snow-clouds drifting randomly across the sky. Draco closed his eyes and had almost fallen asleep when he felt Harry move next to him. Draco did not open his eyes, wondering if the Boy Wonder was going to leave.

Instead, Draco felt Harry cuddle up against him. He sensed, rather than felt, Harry's face buried against his side, and he did feel Harry's arms encircle his waist. He half-turned onto his side, and he felt Harry try to back away; Draco blocked his escape with his own arms.

He knew that Harry was panicking, and Draco wasn't entirely calm either. Their fledgling friendship was only about two weeks old – yes, it had been two weeks since that night that Harry had sought him out and asked a truce.

Ron and Hermione knew nothing, nor did any of Draco's Slytherin cronies; the two boys knew their masks, their roles, and they played them well. But it was Christmas break, and they were two out of five students staying. They talked openly now, laughed sometimes. And Draco knew that Harry wouldn't jeopardize that friendship for some tiny crush. No, this was big.

Was this why Harry had sought him out? Because he liked him? Draco didn't know. And frankly, right now, with Harry's body close to his, his face against his chest, holding him close, he didn't care. All he knew was that it felt right, more right than leaving Voldemort and his father, more right than his whole life.

He buried his face in Harry's hair. He felt the other boy's heart speed up against his chest and he pulled him closer. Harry drew a sharp breath.

"Is this what you want?" Draco whispered directly into Harry's ear. The warm wafting of Draco's breath down Harry's neck cause the boy to shiver and repress a groan.

"I…I don't…don't know…I'm not sure of anything anymore…"

"Neither am I. The world is insane."

"Sometimes I think we're the insane ones…"

"No. No. The world goes insane around us, and time might stand still, and people might die, and children may be born, but we are sane."

"But…there's so much confusion…"

"Not here. I have no confusion or insanity where a decision that involves you is concerned."

"I'm…I'm sorry, Draco…it's stupid, I know, I'm stupid,"

"Shut up Harry."

"No."

"Shut up."

"I'm saying I'm sorry for wrecking what little we had! I don't want to shut up."

Harry looked up at Draco's face, a determined fire dancing in his emerald eyes. Draco looked down on him and lifted a hand. He brushed some snow tenderly off of Harry's hair.

A snowflake fell directly on Harry's mouth. He blinked. Draco decided actions, in this situation, were better than words.

He leaned down slightly and gently kissed Harry's mouth. The boy's eyes closed and both teens felt the snowflake dissolve into their mouths. The kiss ended, sweet and soft. Harry blinked again and smiled. He tilted his head to one side and gently ran a hand down Draco's face.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head against Draco's chest and they stayed like that until it was time for the feast.

As they headed inside, hand in hand, they paused in the doorway. Golden light spilled out over the threshold, not quite yet reaching their feet. It fell against the silver-white snow tenderly. They looked up to the sky, where stars twinkled now again, and watched the snowflakes fall to the ground before turning and going back inside.


End file.
